


Free Election in Promepolis

by Moonsheen



Series: Lio Fotia Now Rules Promepolis [1]
Category: Promare (2019)
Genre: Action, Comedy, Elections, Ensemble Cast, Established Relationship, Gen, M/M, Mission Fic, Politics, Post-Canon, Promare and Rec, Worldbuilding
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-29
Updated: 2019-12-29
Packaged: 2021-02-27 13:27:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,871
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22017880
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Moonsheen/pseuds/Moonsheen
Summary: It's the first major election in Promepolis since the Parnassus Incident, and for the first time Kray Foresight isn't around to win it.
Relationships: Lio Fotia/Galo Thymos
Series: Lio Fotia Now Rules Promepolis [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1648738
Comments: 25
Kudos: 199





	Free Election in Promepolis

_“The city of Promepolis turns out as the Promepolis Municipal Committee holds its first general election since the Parnassus Incident two years ago…”_

_“Security concerns on the rise in the lead-in to the general election, as early polls indicate a record number of new voters following the ratification of the Burnish Re-institution Act, reinstating citizenship to the over two thousand former Burnish citizens in residence in the New Parnassus district, following the--”_

_“Honorary Councilman and Burnish Representative Lio Fotia assures the public that he expects a peaceful election day, following questions about his former anti-government activities operating most recently under the Burnish anti-government paramilitary group, Mad Burnish--”_

_“--fire commission reiterates that polling stations will be secured under Burning Rescue support operations.”_

_“Councilman Kalos refuses to comment as to whether or not the safety commission will consider reactivation of suspended unit Freeze Force over concerns with public safety.”_

_“Former Foresight Foundation board members refuse to comment as to whether or not they will have any significant role in the upcoming selectman elections.”_

_“Foresight Foundation releases statement declaring full compliance with fines and penalties following two year audit into ethical violations following Parnassus Incident.”_

_“The city will for the first time call for a general selectman to take on gubernatorial power following the retirement of acting governor following the arrest of Kray Foresight in the Parnassus Incident--”_

_“I mean, I guess a selectman beats a governor? Not sure what the difference is?”_

_  
  
“I’m not bothering. Everyone knows that the foundation makes the final decision of who’s posted there anyway! It’s totally rigged! How else did a guy like Kray Foresight get like, five terms?” _

_“Burning Rescue’s watching the polls, right? They better, with all those Burnish are turning out -- and just because they can’t burn things with their minds anymore doesn’t mean they can’t do it the old-fashioned way right?”_

_“Couldn’t they wait for the next election to let the Burnish vote? It just seems too soon. Not like they’ve ever really lived here -- I mean okay I know some of them have but what about the rest--”_

_“It’s enough they’ve taken over the old municipal district.”_

_“I know everyone says they’re safe now, but--”_

_“I know it wasn’t their fault--”_

_“--whatever. We’ll just end up with another crook in office. What else is new?”_

_“We only just got back on our feet!”_

_“I dunno. They all seem the same to me. At least with Governor Foresight you could pick him out in a crowd…”_

_“Weren’t these the guys who rolled over for the Foundation, anyway? What’s the point?”_

Remi muted the TV. 

“Points for consistency I guess,” he said with a sigh. “Think we’ll get anyone?”

“We’d better,” grunted Varys, cracking his shoulder as he trundled in, “or else I just spent all morning lugging those booths in for nothing! Hell, those donuts?” 

“Leave some for the rest of us,” said Remi, but he offered up the whole container for Varys and Galo to utterly decimate.

District 3 fire station was one of the official polling stations. As such, Unit 3 had been up since 6 AM helping the commission set up. The new voting booths were top of the line, and each weighed about as much as a rescue pod. Galo and Varys spent all morning in the mechs, carrying them in for installation. This had absolutely nothing to do with Galo’s desire to show off Lucia’s latest lift technology, or Lucia’s desire for Galo to show off her latest lifting model. Not at all.

“Thanks, Remi!” managed Galo, between a general inhalation of baked goods. 

“Thank the volunteers,” said Aina. “Most of those are going for the people who show up.”

“If anyone shows up,” said Remi. 

“They’ll show,” said Galo, with his despicable flare of conviction. Too much flare. He started to cough. Aina obligingly slid her mug of coffee his way, sacrificing it for the greater good of avoiding a spray of crumbs. “It’s the big day, after all! Haven’t you heard? This is the first general election Promepolis has had--”

“Since the Parnassus, yes,” said Remi. “We’re aware, Galo. It’s been all over the news.”

He raised the remote and flipped through the next five stations, just to prove a point.

“Heris has been working overtime at town hall,” admitted Aina. That earned her a few looks. “What? On the _voting machines_. That counts as community service!” 

“You’re all going to vote right?” asked Galo, shifting from side to side like a poorly steered Labrador retriever. “You should know I, Galo Thymos, have already contributed my judgment to this city’s future!”  
  
“Meaning?” asked Aina.

“Polls opened just now,” said Galo, grinning sheepishly as he jerked his chin back in the direction of the garage. “Don’t see why we can’t be bright and early, you know? It’s for the city. We _work_ for the city. We, as its servants, should be first in line!”

Galo had a gift for making even the most boring of things sound like the plot of some stage play.

“If we don’t get called away because someone set fire to a polling station cross town,” said Remi, darkly, before Galo could go on to give all the talking points they’d all heard from the pamphleteers stalking the restaurant distract 24/7 in the lead-up. Aina swatted his knee with her napkin. “Right, right. Don’t eat the box, Galo. I guess it’s something for once to have one of these where we don’t already know who’s going to win. Selectman, right?”

“How’s that different than a governor?” asked Varys.

“Doesn’t share a title with the guy currently serving three life sentences for crimes against humanity,” said Remi. This time, he caught the way Galo set his jaw a little tighter at that particular memory. He leaned over and picked up his tablet. “Oh, well, guess I ought to look up who’s on the ballot.”

Aina and Varys peered over her shoulder.

“Huh,” said Aina.  
  
“Damn,” said Varys. “Guess you’re good if you want a boring middle-aged bureaucrat. How the hell you supposed to tell them apart?”

“HOW?” Galo’s shout may as well have been in solid letters that dropped across the rec room coffee table. “That’s easy! Councilman Karrs Kalos is pro-reconstruction but anti Burnish reparations. Councilwoman Helene Gengois is pro-Burnish but against expanding the budget for development, Councilman Katlyn Makarios wants to re-establish a paramilitary police force for public safety, and Councilman Herald Erdhardt was a moderate Parnassus passenger who wants to reprivatize everything like it was under the Foundation!” 

Silence around the table.

“Uh, wow,” said Varys.

“Galo,” said Aina. “You did your research. I didn’t know you COULD do research.”

Galo slung the Matoi stick he’d produced for gesturing during the lecture over his shoulders and nodded importantly. “What? Didn’t I say? It’s important. Whoever ends up selectman’s going to pick who’s in charge of public safety, aren’t they? Gotta know who’s going to help us fight fires after all! And who’s setting our budget for the next badass mech _I’ll_ be bringing to the burn!” 

“That’s… actually a really good point,” said Aina, sitting back in her papasan chair with a thump. 

“Stopped clocks _are_ right twice a day,” Remi reminded her.

“So, who’d you put in for?” asked Varys.

“Varys,” said Aina, sharply. “That’s kind of a personal question!”

“What? He seemed to be the expert, right?” 

“Heh. A very good question,” said Galo, refolding his arms around the matoi stick through some remarkable flourish that didn’t end up knocking down the ceiling lights. “I wouldn’t trust the future of our city to just anyone. As it happens--”

At which point the alarm went off and Captain Ignis burst down from the loft, radio in his hand.

“Building fire in the Parnassus district,” he said. “Get her loaded up.” 

Burning Rescue abandoned the table, leaving only an empty donut box, the remote, and Remi’s tablet, still open on the news feed.

* * *

It was a three-alarm electrical fire in a construction lot on Parnassus, where they’d been finishing some of the repairs on the converted residential blocks. Ostensibly, most of the Parnassus wreck was fireproof, but Parks and Rec had been converting many of the old engine blocks into hydroponics. Some of the new growth had caught. The engine blocks weren’t meant for conventional ground access, and power cuts kept the belts from working…

...which meant firing Galo straight down the center. Captain’s orders.

“-AND THE CLEANSING TYPHOON!!” finished Galo. They’d shot him off mid-speech. He deployed his matoi mid air, the whirl from the newly updated fans clearing the space enough for Aina to drop down through the gap, Varys and Remi dangling from the undercarriage.

“We’ve got park staff down on the D-block,” said Aina, adjusting her sensors. “About fifteen, sixteen. Galo’s cleared the way, but that platform’s pretty narrow. Can you two make the drop?”

“Ready when you are,” rumbled Varys. Aina dropped them. Remi hit the mark, Varys almost missed the drop point, but he deployed his stabilizer early and managed to yank his unit back over the edge. Up above, another fuel cell blew out, raining down debris. Aina banked left as Galo extracted himself from the wall to blow the debris clear with another sweep of his matoi stick. Remi started putting out the flames on the lower level while Varys shielded the staffers.

“They’re loaded,” reported Varys. “Aina, ready for pick up?”

“I’m ready,” started Aina. By then the fires on the main block were mostly under control, and with Galo keeping the air clear, it wasn’t too hard to maneuver the helicopter in to secure the cube and begin the ascent. 

“Staff secure,” reported Aina. No immediate response. “Lucia?”

Static. 

Then: 

“We got one more,” reported Lucia, from the Rescue mobile.

“What?! Where?” Lucia transmitted the data. Sure enough, another life signature up on the C-block. Singular. At the end of a -- oh, no, at the end of one of the walkways. 

“Aina, can you get in there?” asked Captain Ignis, calm as ever. 

“I think so as long as--”

Another fuel cell blew out, dangerously close to her wing. Aina banked quickly, hoping she didn’t jostle their cargo too hard. 

“--THAT doesn’t happen,” said Aina. “Captain, I’ll need to release the cube before I make another approach.”

“Galo,” called the Captain. 

“Already on it!” He didn’t need to elaborate. Galo’s unit appeared along the side of the wall, rappelling down, the matoi stick converted into a piercing weapon. The groan of metal buckling drowned out the ridiculous name he’d given it.

Galo punched through the first chamber, into the second. He’d almost made it to the walkway when a cross beam sank, catching the top of his unit and sending the mech to its knees.

“Damn.” He redeployed the stick’s blades, jamming it upwards, but up ahead the ceilings just got lower. “...It’ll be a tight fit, but you know what they say. If there’s no road ahead--”  
  
A new voice cut through the comm.

“Make your own way.” 

A line of ice appeared in the wall five meters to Galo’s left. Then another, and another, before the panel of metal fell away in a triangular shape, and a sleek black blur flew through the gap, trailing an icy mist in the wake of its razor sharp feet. 

“6.3 seconds,” called Lucia. “You did better on the obstacle course!” 

Light weight, jointed like a doll -- the armor didn’t roil at the edges the way that Burnish armor did. The volcanic black replaced instead by special lightweight anti-heat fiber. The horns this time were made of sensory fiber, not flames --- but the armor was the same glossy obsidian as the original. The glossy surface gleamed with streaks of orange in the dying flame as it came to a graceful skidding stop in front of Galo, crouched with one gauntleted hand bracing it against the metal floor. 

The claws dug in. The other arm was extended outwards, fingers curled around the ice-infused sword. The trail it left was made of frost and steam. Bits of ice hung in the air like snow, sparkling as it melted on the dark, grinning helmet. It’d been 3D printed to resemble that old Burnish grin. 

“Of course I did,” called Lio Fotia. “These walls were built to withstand a Burnish fire. Galo. How many feet do you need?”

“About twenty for full clearance,” said Galo, readjusting to hold the matoi stick further ahead. “You finished it!” 

“AU CONTRAIRE, MY FIRST FAVORITE TEST SUBJECT.” Lucia’s voice came shrieking over the link: “TRUE ART IS NEVER FINISHED. YOU SEE BUT THE BEGINNING OF MY GRAND PLAN!”  
  
“Consider this my test flight,” said Lio. He kicked backwards. Ice sprayed from the thrusters installed in the heels of the suit, filling the buckling hall with steam. “With the Captain’s permission. Galo, can you keep my exit clear?”

In answer, Galo thrust his matoi stick forward, catching the next piece of sagging paneling before it could fall on the the waiting Lio.

“How’s that for you?” laughed Galo. “Show me what the Lionidas Unit can do!”

“Detroit Re:Ignite,” corrected Lio. 

You could hear the extra punctuation. Galo practically shook in excitement. “THAT’S IT! THAT’S THE MAN I LOVE.”

“You two….” muttered Aina over the comm link. Which was still open. 

“Now,” said Lio, smirking. “Galo. Give me a boost.”

“Right,” said Galo. He punched the ceiling and gave his stick a low sweep. Lio leapt, landing on it, before Galo swept it forward, propelling Lio forward into the waiting flames. 

* * *

  
  


They cornered the fire in D-block. About 80% of the park’s new growth was saved. Casualties included some minor burns and effects from smoke inhalation. No fatalities.

Galo’s shoulder took a clawing, though.

“Put me down!” cried the young man, slamming his fist against Galo’s back. 

Galo inhaled sharply as he laid him down, keeping a safe hold around him to stop him from hurting himself. Thankfully, the staffer was a young volunteer. He couldn’t have weighed more than a hundred and twenty pounds. He had a gaunt, haunted face. 

“I have to get back there!” cried the young man. “I have to. It’s where I belong! She’s still in there! I should go -- she needs me.” 

“Did we miss someone, Aina?” asked Remi, quietly over the comm.

Aina was doing her last pass over the site. “Not getting anyone.”

The man started to kick. “Let me go you oaf!!” 

“Medically trained oaf, thanks!” said Galo, amenably, while the young man threw his head back and clonked him in the jaw.

“I’ll get the sedative,” muttered Remi. 

Lio snapped his sword off. “Wait,” he said, extricating himself from Lucia, who’d been feverishly removing censors from the joints of his armor. 

He pulled off his helmet and tossed it over his shoulder to her. She snapped it up like a greedy seagull. Lio crouched across from him. He reached out with his hand and set his palm over his forehead. 

“ _Sabanare_ ,” he said, firmly, like a prayer. 

Something about the word shot through the man like an ice bullet. He shuddered and went still. His eyes widened in recognition.

“ _Amare mirahi_ \--” he responded automatically, coughing on the last syllable. The words had a strange, chanting quality. His eyes fixed on Lio, focusing on the armor. The tilt of Lio’s head. His own reflection in those violet-gold eyes. His squirms took on a different intent. He flinched back, almost elbowing Galo in the stomach in the process. “You. You’re--”

“I am,” confirmed Lio, lowering his hand before he could bash himself against his palm. “So are you. Stop struggling. If you know who I am, you know I won’t let them hurt you, right?” 

The man sank in Galo’s arms, miserably.

“‘She needs me,’ you said,” said Lio. “Is that who I think it is?”

“Who else would it be?” muttered the man, head bowed.

“Your Promare,” said Lio, more for the benefit for the rest of Burning Rescue. 

The man laughed, weakly. “That’s what they say she was, yeah.” He swallowed. “Said she was some alien, but that’s not what she was to me.”

Lio smiled, sadly. “That’s not what they were to any of us,” he agreed.

“Tell them to let me go back. They never heard them like we did. They don’t understand.”

“You know I can’t do that.”

“Why’s that?”

“Because you won’t find her in a fire like that,” said Lio, gently. He rested his hand on the man’s shoulder, giving it careful squeeze. “The Promare went somewhere farther. I’m sure you felt it. We all did.” 

“I know, but --” But the man’s shaking subsided. He took one shuddering breath, then another, then eased back the rest of the way into Galo’s arms. “...I know.”

“Tell me your name,” said Lio. “Go to the hospital. I’ll come find you. We’ll talk then.” 

They loaded him up in the waiting ambulance. No sedatives required.

“Take him to the district clinic,” said Lio. “He’s one of mine. He doesn’t need to see more Foresight logos.”

“Can do,” said Galo, leaning around to give the ambulance driver a quick note before the car sped off. He put his hand on one of Lio’s armored shoulders, marveling at the cool metal. The frosty exhaust beaded on the glossy surface, leaving no room for soot. “Thanks for the assist.”

“Thank you, Galo,” said Lio, with a faint smile. He let Galo reach for his chin and tip it up, leaning gratefully into the touch of his glove. “My people appreciate a softer touch.” 

“Don’t mention it,” said Galo. He started to lean in, but he caught sight of his own reflection in Lio’s claw-shaped shoulder pad, and ended up diverting to get a closer look. 

“Aaaaah, this is so cool.” Galo did a full circle around Lio, waving excitedly while Lio blinked, wondering where his hero’s kiss had gone. “What are the specs? Which trial are you on? What are you calling the sword? Have you named that ice slash move? I’m thinking something like ‘Crystalline Shadow,’ but maybe that’s a little too DARK KNIGHT AVENGER? How dark knight do you think you want to go?” 

Lio shut his eyes and took a breath. The flashing lights in the corner of his eyes had nothing to do with the sirens. 

“Galo,” he said, staring steadily after the ambulance as the lights streaked into the distance. “How many cameras just got all of that?” 

“Er.” Galo got up on his toes and ticked off fingers. “About five?”

“Including cellphones?”

“Oh, no.” Galo laughed. “There are _way_ more of those.”

“That’s what I thought,” Lio sighed, steeled himself, and turned on one steel-reinforced heel.

* * *

Galo loved reporters. Galo was great with reporters. Galo stood, and posed, and smiled, and talked about how glad he was the people were safe, and how important it was that everyone did their part. 

But they needed Galo to help clear out the last of collapsed rubble in the D-block. So it was Lio’s turn to face the local news corps. He stood with his arms crossed, steeled like a samurai about to make one final stand. The armor added to the effect. 

The heels gave him an extra half-foot of height. That didn’t hurt.

“Councilman Fotia! What was the cause of the fire?”  
  
“That’s a question for Captain Ex,” said Lio, jerking his head in the general direction of Ignis, currently muttering into the comm. “It’s still under investigation. We’ll have a full report tonight.”

“So you think it might be anti-Burnish activity?”  
  
“What? No,” said Lio. “It’s the ship’s former engine block. Constructions been near constant since it landed here. Most of the people Parks and Rec have on it _are_ Burnish. It’s part of the Prometh work program we put through last year -- no, don’t ask me about it. Ask Heris. That’s Heris Ardebit? You know? Head of reconstruction? Works out of city hall these days? She’s got the details.” 

“So you think a former Burnish might have set it?” 

Lio rolled his eyes at this particularly obvious bit of bait, he began to tap his clawed grip-gloves against his bracers in annoyance. “I’m not commenting on that,” he said. “That’s for _after_ the investigation, but since you’ve got a camera on me, I’m going to remind everyone that we have a public counseling service for any Burnish who’s dealing with loss or confusion without the Promare, or any of the complete _bullshit_ the Foresight Foundation put them through. Just dial *426 on the public services line, and--”

The reporters moved on quickly after that. 

“Lio Fotia, what are your feelings on the upcoming election?”

That encouraged an absolute froth of questions.  
  
“Who do you think is the leading candidate for Selectman?”

“Do you think the Burnish will influence this election?”

“What are your feelings on the new electoral process?”

“I think,” said Lio, “it’s about time we had a say in what happens in this city, since it’s had a lot of say about what happens to _us_ . It’s also about time _I_ got back to helping Burning Rescue dig out the rest of the D-block. Lucia, get recording, I’m taking off.”

He turned on his heel-mounted thrusters and stepped off the platform and back down into the engine block.

* * *

There was a line out the door as the truck pulled up into the main garage. 

“Hey Remi,” said Varys, staring out under the ladder. “I think we got someone.”

“I know, Varys.”

“That’s a whole lot of someone.” 

“I know, Varys.”

“Pay up.” 

Remi sighed and transferred the credits over on his cellphone.

Ignis swung out of the front of the truck. “All right, team. Pack up and clean up,” he said, giving the side of the truck a smart rap with his knuckles. “Do it fast, and I’ll pretend I didn’t see you two gambling on duty. Rest of you should hit the showers.” 

“HOLD IT,” cried Galo, holding up his hand like he was a traffic cop, and not a firefighter.

Tucked in the back of the truck, having long ago commended the pieces of his armor back to Lucia’s grabby, grabby hands, Lio Fotia blinked rapidly. He was out of uniform, but his dress pants and undershirt were surprisingly nice, if now rumpled and covered in sweat. He must have escaped a work meeting as soon as he’d heard the siren. “Yes?”

“Spot check,” said Galo. He took five measured steps to the left, a sliding shuffle back to the right, counting off something under his breath. He produced a piece of chalk from God Knows Where and ran it along the floor. 

“There,” he said, nodding. “You can’t cross that line.”

“This again,” sighed Lio, cracking his shoulder as he hopped down from the truck, unfolding a whole lot of leg. “Galo, for the last time. I don’t care.” 

Galo was ready for the interception. He hooked his arm around Lio’s shoulder and carefully steered him away from the line.

“I care,” said Galo, eyes sparking with intent. “I really care.” 

Aina reappeared from the roof somewhere in the middle of the show. 

“What does he really care about?” asked Aina.

“Lio’s ass,” said Varys.

“We all know _that_ ,” said Aina, waving him off. She settled for getting it directly from the source, cupping a hand over her mouth as she shouted across the garage: “Galo, why can’t Lio cross that line?”

Galo looked up from his fussing, his hand had gone from guiding to casually draped over Lio’s shoulders. The former Burnish had gained an inch or two of height since time had started for him again, after the Promare had left and released all the Burnish from their strange otherworldly bond, but it didn’t change that Galo still had at least half a head over him. It just meant Lio had slightly more shoulder to drape himself over. 

“Because!” said Galo, making a point of poking the unimpressed Lio in the chest. “Selectman candidates! Can’t! Come! Within! Forty! Feet! Of the polls!” 

Lio caught his hand. “Nice of you to remind me, Galo,” he sighed, pulling away. “but I _really_ need a shower.”

He tried to slither under Galo’s arm for the station door. Galo side-stepped. It left them chest to chest. Galo pointed down the line with his eyebrows raised. He shook his head. 

“Fine.” Lio turned back to the garage door instead, shaking his head. “Second floor window lets in on the loft, right?” 

“That’ll work. I’ll spot you,” said Galo, who knew full well that doors were generally something Lio tolerated at best. “HEY. LUCIA. CAN WE BORROW THE BOOSTERS FOR A SECOND--” 

They vanished out and around the corner.

“And that’s an OSHA violation about to happen right there,” said Aina. “Anyone want to go after them? Anyone?” 

“Forget that,” said Varys. “Did he just stop Lio from coming forty feet of the polls, yeah?”  
  
“Yes,” said Remi. 

“As in, Lio’s a candidate?”  
  
“It would stand to reason.”

“For selectman.”

“That’s--”

“As in, guy who’s going to run the city.”

A long chilly silence filled the garage.

“Let’s stop them from breaking their necks,” said Aina, as the rest of Burning Rescue went pouring out the door. 

* * *

“It’s not what you think,” said Lio.

“So you’re not a candidate for selectman,” said Aina.

“No. I am. I’m on the ballot, anyway,” said Lio, shaking his head in vague annoyance as he swung himself down from the window. He re-tucked his shirt and stuck out an arm so Galo could grab it as he swung himself in through the window after him. “So’s everyone else on the city council. They put me on because it’d look bad if I _wasn’t_ there.”

“Why shouldn’t you be there?” said Galo. He tripped as he got his foot through the window, but he did a proper roll and managed to be up on his feet in a proper show of self-righteousness. “You’re a councilman as much as anyone else. A really important one, too!”

“I’m there because _someone_ has to speak for the Burnish,” said Lio.

“And that’s important.”

“Yeah, but it’s not--” Lio waved his hand in the general direction of the voting machines, back in the second garage. “--that. I’m just there to make sure my people aren’t being mistreated. Unlike certain idiots, who seem to think that means I’m _campaigning_ . Because _international criminals_ are _completely_ electable.”

“Hey, I voted for you,” said Galo. He shot the rest of the team a pointed look. “You should vote for him, too.” 

Despite the annoyed purse of his lips, Lio’s eyes softened, just a bit. “Of course you did. Really. There’s no cure for you.” Then, to Aina: “...I’m surprised your sister didn’t mention.”  
  
Aina sighed. “She’s been working a lot of overtime these days.”

Lio’s expression cooled. “I’ll talk to her about that,” he promised. 

He threw his coat jacket over his shoulder and made for the showers. Remi and Varys edged out of the way to let him through. Lio had a way of making people feel like he needed more space to pass through than he really did. Everyone always forgot his actual height.

Aina grabbed Galo by the ear.

“So,” said Aina. “Heris is Heris, but how come _you_ didn’t mention this earlier?”  
  
Galo found himself bent over sideways, one leg thrown out to keep his balance. “Owww--! ow, ow -- great grip Aina -- also I thought you knew?!” 

“Why didn’t you include him when you were giving us the run-down of the other candidates?”

“Because you all already know what Lio stands for! We’re teammates! T-E-A--” 

Aina let him go. Galo popped back up with the same sharp ‘clop’ of the bamboo deer scare he’d installed in the lobby a few weeks ago. 

“Okay,” said Aina. “You got me there.” 

The second alarm of the day went off just as she reached the end of the voter’s line -- and wasn’t that just her luck?  
  


* * *

That evening, Burning Rescue ordered take-out and sat around the lounge. In the end, there’d just been three calls. Two and a half, really. The third had been an attempt to frame some former Burnish kids for a false fire alarm, but Aina had just made it to the polls before they closed. Just as well. She’d ended up in line next to the delivery girl, who alternated between going on about how she’d MEANT to go sooner in the day -- she’d really meant to -- and also, hey, you’re cool, what’s your number?

Aina let her down gently.

The news was back on in the common area. Sure enough, someone’s shaky camera grab of Lio and Galo’s rescue was all over. They even kept most of Lio’s interview. Galo demanded they turn up the volume for that part. 

“You get to hear him every day!” objected Varys. He lunged for the remote, while Galo fended him off with a foot. 

“So?! He looks cool in the new armor!” 

“Yeah, like he’s about to go burn down an apartment complex.” 

“He doesn’t do that anymore!” 

Remi discreetly scooted to the edge of the couch while they fought it out. The Captain wisely nudged the coffee table out of the reach of their kicking feet. 

“Got to admit,” said Remi, a little sourly while TV-Lio shot the reporter one of his signature aloof-yet-slow-burning stares. “The camera loves him almost as much as it loves Galo’s pecs.” 

“You say that,” grumbled Lucia, arms crossed like a particularly discontent Buddha in the papasan chair, “but if he knew how to work it BETTER he’d show off my work a little more. Look at that! Not even the slightest bit of ass. Do you know how hard I worked on the sculpt for the back of that thing--”

Aina ignored this. 

“How do you think he’s doing in the polls?” 

“Let’s find out,” said Remi. He made a sideways grab, snatching the remote as it bobbled between Galo and Varys, and quickly passed through twelve channels until he hit one of the live news feeds.

“Polls have begun to close all around Promepolis, with early projections suggesting huge losses for the Foresight party.”

“Bold of them to suggest we had a party that wasn’t the Foresight party,” remarked Remi.

“Shh!” said Aina. 

“--for treasurer. And in the race for selectman, early polls suggest a remarkable +75 district lead for Honorary Councilman Lio Fotia, Burnish Representative and head of the Reintegration Committee--”

Captain Ignis’ eyebrows went up over his sunglasses. You could nearly hear the long pause.

“Yeeeeah!” said Galo, sitting forward. “Who called it? I called it! I completely called it!” 

He shot up to do a victory lap around the lounge. He did like, five victory laps around the lounge.

“This is just one channel,” said Aina. Remi switched to the next news feed.

(“COMPLETE VICTORY! HERE”S TO A CONTROLLED BURN! THE ONLY THING ON FIRE IS OUR SPIRITS!” shouted Galo, in the background.)

They’d interviewed people on the street: 

_“I know they SAY he was a terrorist, but they pardoned all of the Burnish, right? Besides, he does all that volunteer work for Burning Rescue!”_

_“I don’t know. I guess I’ll go for that Fotia guy. He seems like the only one doing anything around here these days.”_

_“Gengois is okay, I guess.”_

_“Okay, but did you SEE that rescue today?! If he’s willing to dive into a burning engine, think about how he’ll take on the national debt!”_

The next station showed an alarming amount of graphs. They didn’t understand most of them, but they all seemed to suggest that Lio and his cohorts were about to grab a considerable amount of seats on the city council. 

At which point Remi muted the TV and fell back against the couch. Varys sat next to him in an identical daze. Even Lucia looked up from scribbling her next set of mech specs.

“...I mean, I voted for him,” said Aina, “but that was just because I thought someone should.” Galo came galloping back from the far end of the station to deliver the most unexpected knucklebump to her stunned fist. 

“I voted for him,” admitted Remi. “Stupid isn’t a diagnosed STD. At least not yet.”

He held out his hand to accept his knucklebump from Galo.

“Yeah, bring it here, Galo, I did, too,” admitted Varys, bumping Galo preemptively. “Guy’s been running a tight ship. literally. With all those former Burnish on the Parnassus ruins.” 

“Voting is for tools of bureaucracy,” said Lucia.

“Lucia, no!” cried Galo.

“Oh, calm your tits, Galo, I put in for him,” grumbled Lucia, “but only because I respect a fellow anarchist!”

“For the last time, Lio’s a socialist! A socialist!” stressed Galo, which was far more political discourse than any of them ever expected from him. 

All eyes traveled to Captain Ignis, who’d been nursing his take-out box with a particular pathos as he sat on the edge of the lounge chair, staring intently at the news screen. 

“I like his stance on public aid,” he said, simply. 

“And I guess add the New Burnish vote…” Remi trailed off. 

In silence, they watched as the numbers of the graph ticked up. Districts, one after the other, were marked with the red triangle. They were just about to call it, when Lio Fotia himself wandered into the lounge, wearing one of Galo’s tanks as he toweled off his hair.

“I don’t trust it when you’re all this quiet,” said Lio 

“And here’s the man himself!” announced Galo, vaulting over the chair to pick Lio up and spin him. Lio had good reflexes, so he must’ve allowed Galo to do it. The fact Galo was peppering his face and mouth with kisses helped. By the time they stopped he was holding Galo by his elbows to keep him in place.

“Galo -- I just took a shower. That’s enough. Galo -- not that I mind, but what are we celebrating?”  
  
“Victory,” said Galo.

“Oh, the rescue?”

“Try again,” put in Remi. He nodded at the screen.

Lio peered over the top of it. Galo peered too, tucking his head over Lio’s. Lio’s mouth pressed into a tight, serious line.

“Huh,” he said.

“Told you,” said Galo.

“That’s not right,” said Lio, but the numbers kept scrolling, and the pundits kept reporting, and they kept showing that damn shot of him in the armor. “...I didn’t even put up any posters?” 

“Didn’t need to,” said Galo. “We had you covered! I’ve been handing out fliers since they announced the candidates! And a bunch of former Burnish have been pitching in, too!” 

“When did you…” Lio trailed off, folding his arms. He chewed his lip in thought. Then, very carefully, he reached back and moved Galo’s chin off of his head. “I… have to make some calls.” 

And, with a careful silence befitting someone with a thirty-year career as an international fugitive, Lio Fotia walked back out of the room.

To which Remi grabbed a soda can in a wan-faced salute.

“Hail to the Chief,” he said, in a flat voice.

The rest of Burning Rescue could do nothing else but agree. 

  
  



End file.
